inspiration because it is opposed to the king and the clergy; and still less can they be possessed by the devil, in as much as they speak and sing only spiritual things and do not as yet know the ways of that gentleman, neither, say they, could it proceed from fits, or any other bodily infirmity, but it was to them something quite unheard of and new; it may well be termed new, and, therefore, must appropriately be called fanaticism and the people denominated fanatics." "There may be many things," interrupted the huntsman hastily, "that are inexplicable; with your reverence's permission, my opinion is, that they are all bewitched; for, if you have no objection, that is the easiest explanation of the matter; therefore, there is no such great injustice in burning them--always excepting Mr. Cavalier, for whom I should be very sorry--and the reason which might tolerate such proceedings is, that they may not by degrees infect the whole community, for it is very evident that the evil is spreading daily and is communicated from one to the other. Witchcraft is just as much something corporeal as well as spiritual, something visible as well as invisible, and not only men, but also houses, mountains and rivers may be enchanted; I have experienced this myself in the course of my life."
"And how?" enquired the Counsellor. "Do you not know the wide-spreading ash, which stands in the field between the castle of Castelnau and the town of Alais? at no great distance from that is the large, old olive-tree, which, they say, is three, or four hundred years old, but it is so far certain, that both the trees, particularly the ash, may be seen at the distance of many miles from the plain as well as from the mountains."
"I know both these trees very well," said Edmond.
"Now," continued the huntsman, "under the ash it is not safe. While I was yet a boy in the service of the father of the present lady of Castelnau, who almost always resided at Alais, for the castle was thought to be too lonely for her, I went out as I often did, to shoot hares: It was towards evening and a storm like that of to-day overtook me, I sought shelter under the great ash to escape getting wet through, but scarcely had I leaned against the trunk, gracious sir, than I was seized with indescribable agitation and fear, my heart began to beat, a tremor came over me, I was terrified--I was compelled to quit my shelter--I was wet through--I returned, and again the same sensations under the tree; it was not permitted to me to remain there, I was obliged to go into the open space while the rain was falling as if heaven and earth would come together. The next morning it was bright midday and summer weather, said I to myself, dolt! wert thou frightened because it was dark, perhaps thou wert terrified at the claps of thunder; wilt thou become a noble huntsman if thou hast such little heart,--so I went half laughing under the tree, I fancied myself sleeping under its shade,--but no such thing! I was seized with greater terror and agitation than ever, my teeth chattered and an icy coldness chilled me, I fled from the spot.--I mentioned the circumstance to an old forester: 'Fool!' said he, 'have not the huntsmen told you that the tree permits no one to stand under it?' It is an old story. He could not tell me the reason of this, but warned me not to play any tricks with it. However, I did not follow his advice, but returned to it with a young lad. To him it was productive of evil, for he became sick unto death with the fright; since that time, I avoid the tree and so does every one who knows it. It must have been bewitched some time or other."
"Heaven only knows, what may be the meaning of all this," began the priest, "we live at least in times when events occur, which formerly would have been deemed impossible. Now there is something incomprehensible in these prophecying children. It was said, some years ago, that here, and there, in the Cevennes, in Dauphiné, and in the neighbouring Beauvarais that such things were practised, and people travelled to hear and see them. At present whole villages are full of them, they are to be seen in the market-places, in the public houses and like the diseases, incidental to childhood formerly, it seems that all children must undergo the gift of prophecy. Government has thus sharply reprimanded them, by making the parents responsible, thrown those into prison and sending the fathers to the galleys, for it was conjectured that from these alone proceeded the delusion. A peasant, one of my parishoners, came to me, saying 'for God's sake sir, help me! my little girl, six years old, began yesterday to prophecy, I am a dead man if the thing becomes known; my wife and I are certainly of the true faith as you can testify, but now they will arrest us as rebels, as they have done to so many others.'
"Only use the whip," said I, "let the girl hunger and she will soon forget to prophecy. 'All that has been tried, reverend sir,' groaned the old man, 'and more than my conscience will justify; the child is ill from my ill-treatment, for as soon as she begins to prophecy, or to sing psalms, which she has never heard from me, I have chastised her severely; I have not given her a morsel of bread for three days, yet she does not give up, but goes on still worse. Come, I pray, to my house and see yourself; if she is possessed by a devil, you can conjure, is it any thing else, you can exhort.' I had never seen such prophecying creatures, I went therefore out of curiosity with the old man. As we entered the house, the child was sitting at a spinning wheel, she was pale and thin, and seemed half silly, she complained of hunger and pain. I can see nothing in the child, said I, 'oh, if she was always reasonable like that,' exclaimed the peasant. Presently the worm was seized with a sobbing in the throat: 'there we have the gift,' said the old man, 'the disorder is breaking out now--exorcise, reverend sir!' as the little creature was thus struggling, her body dilated, she fell on the ground, her bosom throbbed and heaved, and suddenly we heard as it were quite a strange tone, which did not belong to the child. 'I tell thee, my child, if thy parents repent and follow the spirit, all will be right and good, and thou shalt partake of liberty and of my word.' I was terrified, especially as the devil spoke as pure French as the child of persons of rank; I sprinkled her with holy water, I vehemently conjured that the devil, if it was one, might come out of her; all in vain, the little thing cried out, 'I tell you, the idolaters shall not prevail against you, and this evil one shall find the reward of his misdeeds,' thereby meaning myself: the unfortunate child, because I was so zealous in my calling; then followed exhortation and singing, and pure fear of God and admonition to repentance. I could scarcely do it better myself: she then arose and seemed just as miserable and foolish as before. I cannot help you, said I to my penitent, you see that the word of God and holy water have no effect on her; hunger and chastisement just as little, nor has your persuasion, nor the fear of rendering you unhappy had any weight with her, leave it to herself. In short, the child ate and drank again, and became more zealous than ever in preaching repentance; so that at length the father was converted, or, at least, he ran to the mountains to the Camisards, and said: 'if he were to be punished, or executed, he should at least know wherefore.' Thus you see, I lost many penitents the preceding year, for when they have drawn suspicion on themselves, they prefer becoming rebels to avoid suffering anxiety, ill-treatment, and even death without a cause, as one may say. The case of the shepherd from my adjoining village is still more singular. He was a wild, reckless fellow, and as strong in the right faith as need be wished; he had already delivered more than one Camisard and suspected person up to the executioner. He came running to me one morning at a very early hour, crying out, 'Help, help, reverend sir!' 'what is the matter now,' said I, 'have the Camisards set fire to your house, as they have always threatened to do, on account of your zeal?' 'Ah, much worse, much worse,' cried the knave, wringing his brown, bony hands. 'Speak out shepherd,' said I, 'Do you know,' he began, 'my son, the tall Michael,--who does not know the lanky looby--he is known to almost all the mountaineers, it is indeed the cross of your house, that the idiot is so useless: he will neither work, nor mind the herds; he is so stupid, that he is scarcely considered a member of the church, yet he often enough disturbs the congregation; he is only fit to carry burdens, and prefers living with the dogs, which he frequents as if they were his equals: Is he departed this transitory life? rejoice, for you have one burden less.' 'It is not that indeed,' exclaimed the old man, incensed, 'Oh, I should not grieve for that: But think, who in the world would have supposed that the long broom-stick would have become a prophet?' 'How?' cried I, my mouth and eyes wide open with amazement; 'so, a blockhead, who is good for nothing else in the world, may become one of their prophets?' I went therefore with the old man, but the affair turned out still more strangely. As we entered the house, the thin, bony man was just in the act of prophecying, speaking in a pure dialect about the deliverance of France, of liberty, of faith, of better times, encouraging them to fight. I tried to pray, and to exorcise, but the father seized his great shepherd's stick, brandished it over him, so
